I entered the theatre thinking how I could prevent myself from falling asleep throughout yet another cultural performance. But from the start of the show till the end, I found no difficulty trying to keep myself awake. Siam Niramit is a musical performance. The first part of the performance depicts the 4 different regions of Thailand (very very colourful), the second is about the 3 different realms of life of the thai belief and the third is of joyous festivals celebrated in Thailand. I find it so weird how no one actually recommended me to watch this performance when I was in Bangkok last year. This musical performance is way way under publicized! Futhermore, I have never seen myself as someone who is interested in arts and culture but I strongly recommend all to watch this unique, spectacular, enchanting, very very colourful and lively performance (: I love it!

Buffet dinner

This is inclusive of a sumptuous buffet dinner and a free and easy tour around the (replicated) villages of the 4 different regions. The tour around the village displayed the lifestyle of the Thais in the past. We even got to ride on a boat and try local dishes. But of course something so spectacular comes with a price..

Our short boat ride around the villageVery entertaining PuppeteerKhanom Krok (Rice pudding)

Making silk cloth
Musician

My Ajarn and I posing with villagers

Making Krathong

After the tour around the village, we made our way into the theatre. There are no pictures of the musical as we were not allowed to bring camera into the theatre.

SIAM NIRAMIT...

Support Siam Niramit.. http://www.siamniramit.com/applause.php

I enjoyed myself so much(:

stranded, no more

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said last night it had contacted over 600 Singaporeans in Bangkok, and helped about 490 of them get out. The latest group left Bangkok for Phuket last night to catch a flight home.
About 120 Singaporeans are now left in Bangkok, including those 'who have decided to remain for various reasons', the spokesman said. "

An abstract from

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_309710.html

But I had exams.....

พระจันทร์ยิ้ม

This is what I saw at around 7pm. Well, if it wasn't for today, I wouldn't realise that I seldom look at the sky at all. I first saw many people with their camera looking towards the direction of the sky and so I looked up too.

The moon smiles tonight

The science behind it (which I am unable to explain)

I found this picture on the internet..The 3rd picture dates 29nov-2dec 2008 where you can see the "smiley face" (:

And then some guy was trying to explain to me the myth behind this occurrence but I couldn't really understand him.. Only knew he said something about someone smiling because the 2 someone are now reunited, etc etc. With my limited thai knowledge, I tried to look it up the Internet by typing เรื่องพระจันทร์ยิ้ม (the story of พระจันทร์ยิ้ม) but I couldn't find anything. haha

Adventure Ari

I decided not to spend my Saturday afternoon at home (again, no one's out because exams are next week) because I won't have much time left to tour Bangkok. I searched on the internet for some places I could visit. I was deciding between taking the river cruise to visit the grand palace and temples or to go to Soi Ari but I decided to go to Soi Ari because I will go to the grand palace when my family comes while I have no other reasons to go to Soi Ari again..

Anway, Soi Ari is at an area out of the city of Bangkok, towards Chaktucak market. At about 430pm, I took the skytrain from Victory Monument to Ari. This is what I saw when I got there..

There was a small contemporary looking shopping mall with was an outdoor dining area + life music, very modern cafes and a supermarket. This place kinda reminds me of holland v. And it feels very homely too.

Then I crossed the road to the other side of Ari and started to explore. I didn't know where I should walk, wanted to venture new places and eventaully got out of the trail. I even reached Samsen railway train station, which is one stop after Bangkok's Hualampong railway station. This is the map of my big walk.. I probably took about 1.5hrs walking until I boarded the bus at about 620pm ( It was already very dark in Thailand..)

It's a pity the map is so smalll... I dunoe how to enlarge it:(

I did not manage to find my way back to Ari skytrain station but I found a bus stop and since it was getting dark, I took a bus back to victory monument. I was surprised to find a direct bus back to victory monument as I thought I was lost really far away.. (:

The bus journey which was quite direct..

Well, my journey didn't end here. Because I didn't shop today, I decided not to get off the bus at Victory Monument but at Pratunum. Then I went to Central World shopping centre and the night market nearby..

safe admist rising political tensions

I would have been completely ignorant about the political tension in Bangkok if my friends and family from Singapore haven't been asking me about my safety. There indeed has been large scale disruption in certain areas of Thailand but I could say that the daily life of an average person living in Bangkok isn't so much affect. At least not at all for me.

I think the PAD wouldn't be succesful in their protest campaigns if they were to disrupt the lives of their people. Because it's the people that they are 'fighting' for, fighting for months to make the new cabinet step down (remember: for the good of the people), so they go to the government house, go to the parliment house, go to Suvarnabhumi airport, **** the government because they hate them, **** the tourist maybe because they don't care and then, keep the rest out. Maybe it's not as if I say they haven't **** much of the lives of the people living in Thailand. Mentally, maybe.

So, mum (to tell dad and ahma+gua ma) and the rest of my family, relatives, friends, lovers, strangers, I am very (quite) safe here in my own world of oblivion. And it's still fun. wheeeee!

A night out at Sirocco Sky Bar

Last night, I finally went to the Sirocco Sky Bar that all my friends have been talking about. It is an open air bar on the 64th floor of the state tower. I have also been to the Baiyoke sky hotel is much higher (80th floor?) but the view and ambiance at sirocco is way superior. Also, glass panel until waist level borders the skybar instead of metal grills that cage you up like the ones at Baiyoke. It was windy and chilly last night, a stark contrast to the pollution and humidity of Bangkok on ground level. I am usually not afraid of heights but I took a while before getting used to the height://
We only had drinks (for about 320baht each) but you could also dine there for at least 700baht for a main course. I suppose a large part of the cost goes to their very attentive service (ed told me that they would go to you with a lighter if they see you holding your cigarette.. but I didn't see that happen last night). There was also dessert buffet(:

The good thing about this place is that entrance is free and so if you are on a tight budget, you could just enter for a breathtaking view of Bangkok, of the Chao Praya River and to take some pictures too. I highly reccomend this place for all! families, couples, friends or even if you're alone!

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You take lift to the 64th floor from behing the glass panels of The dome

then you walk down the stairs to the the skybar

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The dome, the bar and a little bit of the view

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17-18nov:trat province

Trat province, a small and peaceful town, located at the East of Thailand is about a 5hours bus ride from Bangkok. I traveled alone (w/ ed's camera and lonely planet) to Trat after beach-ing in Ko Samet because my tourist visa was gonna expire. From Trat, I traveled to Had Lek (1hours bus ride away), a town at the eastern border of Thailand and crossed over to Cambodia. My visa was extended for another 30days(: After 30mins in Cambodia, I crossed back to Thailand(:

I've been to Cambodia once and my second trip there affirmed my dislike towards the inhospitality of the Cambodia people. Cambodia Immigration demanded 300baht from me because I didn't stay there for at least 1 day and when I asked to see this regulation on paper, a very dumb reply i got.. "it's in Penom Phen.."

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I stayed in Trat for 1 night and I enjoyed my stay. You probably could cover the whole town in less than an hour. People were very friendly, pace of life was slow and there isn't much activity going on. The main attractions in town are the day market and night market which closes at night (9pm..)? A handful of internet shops that close at 12am with school students playing games...

Bookshop; Main Street that is empty at 8pm; merlion?; my guesthouse for 150baht

Road and river of trat, perpetually empty

The 2nd day I woke up early intending to rent a bicycle to get to a Wat Bai Khlong that is 2km away from the town but there were no bicycles for rent all around town. Took a motorcycle taxi there instead.

Then, I was lucky because there was some street procession in the late morning where students paraded along the streets of Trat for an opening ceremony for Sports Day. And then at 1130am, I headed over to Cambodia to extend my visa(:

In Cambodia just outside Had Lek

Had Lek was beautiful too. It is whole stretch of town that is along the sea.